


Private Matters

by jaffle



Category: Yu-Gi-Oh! Series
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-01-11
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-03 13:47:05
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13342512
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jaffle/pseuds/jaffle
Summary: Jounouchi Katsuya is a private detective whose work finds him settled in the teeming, never-sleeping heart of Domino City. One day he is approached with a huge amount of cash and the promise of the most intriguing job of his career. He could never have imagined the chain of events that this momentous day would set in motion.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hi everyone, this is the first fic that I've written in a looooong time (I mean, YEARS) but the urge was strong. This is canon non-compliant in that it assumes no history at all between Kaiba and Jounouchi, Yuugi, or any of the other main gang. It's still set in the usual 'verse with Domino and Duel Monsters and all the good stuff, but while the story (hopefully) reflects a Japanese setting I've decided not to include things like honorifics and daily customs like taking shoes off to go indoors. Also, while I do have a general direction I want to take this story in, I will absolutely be doing everything on the fly so expect one or two chapters a week. :) :) :)

Jounouchi yawned, leaning back in his chair to place his feet on the desk with a solid _clunk_. Business was slow. It was raining outside, though the drops did little to clean the grime from his filthy third floor windows. Below, the sounds of car horns and late-night shoppers filled the humid air. The rented office may have been small and dirty, but it was right in the centre of the city, and that was how Jounouchi liked it. Despite the secretive nature of his work, he didn’t see the point in making potential clients travel to the outskirts of the city just to meet. He was easy enough to reach by telephone or email if you knew how, but tucked away here in a dingy corner office of a mostly abandoned complex, he felt like a cat hiding just out of sight of thousands upon thousands of unsuspecting mice. His next prey could be any of them – all it would take were a few words and a few more dollars. Not that anyone would know, of course. He was a private detective, and that meant discretion, tact, and the overarching rule that the people he was hired to investigate never had the slightest clue about it. 

Sparing a glance for the clock, Jounouchi sighed. It was almost midnight already. Just about time to close up for the night, although if he was honest, he’d probably end up unrolling the futon in the corner and sleeping in the office again. Some nights there was no point making the fifteen minute walk back to the apartment that he and Yuugi shared. The office boasted a tiny sink and just enough cupboard space for storing food, toiletries, and a change of clothes, so why not save himself the hassle and stay the night? It’d give him a head start on any work to be done tomorrow. Besides, Yuugi was probably asleep and he didn’t want to disturb him by going and clattering around the less-than-spacious apartment. It was settled. But just as he’d made up his mind to lock up and boil the kettle for instant noodles, someone could be heard rapping their knuckles sharply against the other side of the door.

“Come in,” he called, taking his legs off the desk in a half-hearted effort to look more professional. 

The figure that approached was shrouded in a black cloak, their tall frame casting an imposing shadow over Jounouchi’s desk. As a younger man he would have paled, but Jounouchi had enough experience in this business to know that mysterious cloaked figures were practically everyday customers. He didn’t even attempt to peer under the hood which hid the face of his silent visitor, but merely folded his hands on the desk and waited expectantly.

“Mr Jounouchi?” came a gravelly voice from underneath the hood.

“Correct.”

“I have here an envelope containing a name and a sum of money. Once I leave you are to find the owner of that name and follow his every move. The details of his schedule must be recorded in precise and plentiful detail. I will return here in a month’s time and collect the information you have amassed, after which time your services will no longer be required and any attempts to contact either me or the person in question will not be tolerated. Understood?”

Jounouchi nodded, his face impassive.

“My associates and I have heard say that you are among the best in the city for handling matters of this delicate nature,” continued the gravelly voice. “Do not disappoint us.”

Outstretching a gloved hand, the figure placed a thick envelope on the desk and exited the room as silently as they had entered. When the door had clicked shut behind them, Jounouchi let out a long breath. He’d had a lot of interesting clients, but that guy was certainly more intense than most. He got up to lock the door – an urge that suddenly felt far more insistent than it had a few minutes earlier – before returning to his chair to assess the envelope. It was large and made of normal white paper, plain and unassuming. The paper was thick enough that didn’t tear under the surprising weight of its contents when Jounouchi lifted it tentatively. There wasn’t even a mark on the outside to indicate that it was addressed to him, no glue to seal the open flap. Taking a peek at the contents, Jounouchi couldn’t help but let his mouth fall open in shock. There had to be close to half a million dollars in this envelope. All he could see were hundred dollar notes and as he pulled out each stack to count it he concluded that yes, some incredibly mysterious person had just walked in and hired him to carry out what was apparently a $500,000 job. A tiny scrap of paper at the bottom of the envelope caught his eye, and he pulled it out to see just who was important enough to merit paying such a price for investigation alone. His breath caught and he ran a shaky hand through his hair, eyes still glued to the name before him. Surely this was some kind of joke. And yet there it was on the paper, penned in bold, elegant script.

Seto Kaiba.

“What the fuck?” Jounouchi found himself saying aloud.

Everyone knew who Seto Kaiba was. It was hard not to when his face and legacy were plastered over every billboard, bus stop and newspaper in the city. The man who had achieved untouchable billionaire status as CEO of KaibaCorp, the company responsible for driving Duel Monsters to ever greater heights of popularity with its game-changing technology, was certainly not hard to identify. Nor should he be hard to find, really, between the towering sky scraper that was home to KaibaCorp’s inner workings and the sprawling white mansion that he shared with the younger and slightly less famous member of the Kaiba family. Why on earth would someone want to investigate such a man? He had to be constantly surrounded by body guards or ensconced in private rooms, surely. Jounouchi vaguely acknowledged that perhaps the ridiculous sum of money in his hands was justified, and then the alarming thought washed over him that this new client might have foul intentions. What if they were going to use the information he gave them to kill Kaiba and make it look like an accident, or worse, frame somebody for the murder? He looked down at the crisp, clean notes. Was this hush money? An incentive to pretend that this business transaction had never happened or else? Suddenly Jounouchi found that he couldn’t bear to look at the envelope or its contents any more. Shoving it all into his desk drawer, he turned off the lamp and proceeded to set up his futon in the dim light which seeped through the window shades. Crawling onto the bedding fully clothed and only bothering to kick off his shoes, he lay open-eyed and deep in thought for far longer than usual. When he finally fell into an uneasy sleep, his dreams were plagued by dark, hooded figures, and piercing blue eyes.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So idk why but this chapter was mentally exhausting to write. Maybe it's because I'm dreading going back to uni and essay writing next month... anyway, I promise it gets good soon! There may or may not be an encounter coming next chapter... (I actually haven't decided yet, sorry!). Thank you for the kudos so far, it really means a lot. Any comments would be greatly appreciated too! <3 <3 <3

It had been two days since the unnerving event of the business proposition. Standing in the small bathroom he shared with Yuugi, Jounouchi tried to quell the thoughts which rose up in his head and clamoured for attention. He had spent the entire two days arguing back and forth with himself, getting next to no sleep and becoming increasingly irritable before making the uncomfortable decision to go ahead with the investigation. It wasn’t as if he had a choice – he couldn’t just phone up the client and tell them to take their money back. A payment that large came with an unspoken threat that any and all demands would be satisfied. Besides, refusing the job could put Jounouchi in danger himself. Now that he’d seen the name on that slip of paper he was a loose end that the client would undoubtedly have no qualms about tying up. There was no way out of this.

“Ugh!”

Jounouchi stared at his reflection in the mirror. His brown eyes stared back at him, tired and resigned. He couldn’t seem to move his mouth from its permanent downturned position. His unruly blonde hair was stuck to his face and the back of his neck, still wet from the cold shower he’d taken partly out of necessity and partly to calm his nerves. The humidity from the recent rain was still smothering the city in an oppressive blanket, and everyone breathed heat and sweat and discomfort. It didn’t help with his mood, nor anyone else’s, and Jounouchi spared a regretful thought for the several times that he and Yuugi had snapped at one another recently, stuffed into the normally cosy living room together as it was the only room in the apartment with a working air conditioner. Cracking open the tiny window above the bath, he took a deep breath of the marginally cooler air flowing in from outside, before picking up his toothbrush with a sigh. He already wished he’d had the good sense to lock his office door and refuse entry to the mysterious client and live on in blissful ignorance of any goings-on involving Seto Kaiba.

Emerging from the bathroom a few minutes later, Jounouchi had to admit that he felt a little more ready to face the day. He’d dressed in a casual outfit that he usually wouldn’t wear during working hours: blue jeans and a worn white t-shirt with baby blue stripes around the sleeves. He never bothered too much with appearances anyway, but it was nice not to be wearing a formal shirt and slacks for once. A casual look would help him fit in better where he was going – the breezy avenues and green spaces outside KaibaCorp headquarters were always filled with young Duel Monsters fans, tourists and avid duelists alike. Nobody would be forcing themselves into a suit and tie in the lingering heat, except for the stoic salarymen who whiled away their hours in the refuge of air conditioned office buildings. He supposed that Kaiba would also be professionally outfitted, just as he always appeared in every photograph and on every poster. The chairman and CEO of KaibaCorp had an impeccable image which was very rarely marred, as Jounouchi had discovered the previous night when he sat hunched over his laptop in the small hours, poring over every source of information he could find.

Seto Kaiba was a shrewd and serious individual who never seemed to stray from his businesslike attitude. If Jounouchi’s sources were to be believed he was almost freakishly intelligent, a technological genius who had taken over KaibaCorp at a very young age and boosted it to international acclaim through his self-made innovations. A master of computer programming, he’d revolutionised the world of the Duel Monsters card game with his trademark hologram systems. He was notorious for wrangling deals with investors through intimidation and a cold disdain for almost everyone he met, despite being only 23 – _the same age as me_ , noted Jounouchi – and younger than the majority of his associates. The only person with whom he seemed to have a genuinely friendly relationship was his younger brother, Mokuba Kaiba, though in keeping with his stern image he never publically demonstrated his affection for the boy. Jounouchi had smirked as he scrolled through a Kaiba fan site dedicated to posting candid photos of the two doing everything from eating in restaurants to walking together in the street or sharing a smile. The photos had been adorned with little hearts and smiley faces by the site’s creator. With luck, Jounouchi would be able to catch a glimpse of his quarry today though he was loathe to actively seek him out. No, he’d take it slow for today and simply get a sense of Kaiba’s world one step at a time. After all, he had an entire month before the client would return to collect his findings.

Slipping on a comfy pair of sneakers, he collected his phone, wallet and keys from the shelf by the front door. Yuugi was sprawled on the floor in the living room, cards scattered around him as he sorted through his Duel Monsters deck.

“Seeya later, Yuug,” he called, and his flatmate gave a distracted wave, still immersed in his task. Jounouchi was almost out the door before he heard Yuugi call out in response.

“Don’t forget we’re going out for curry tonight, Jou! Be back by seven!”

Jounouchi grinned to himself. Curry was his favourite, and they were going out tonight to sample the menu at a newly opened restaurant right by their apartment building. The thought dwelled pleasantly at the back of his mind as he broke into a brisk stroll. He would need to catch a bus to reach the KaibaCorp building, and traffic was heavy this morning. Spotting a bus just pulling into a nearby stop, he sprinted over and flashed his pass at the driver before cramming himself into the nearest unoccupied standing space. At this time of morning it was impossible to get a seat, and Jounouchi found himself wedged between a harassed-looking man and a group of teens in school uniforms.

The inside of the bus could only be described as dank. All of the people crowded inside were making it hot, sticky, and frankly claustrophobic. The harassed-looking man was having a heated conversation with someone on his mobile phone and sweating heavily, droplets forming at his hairline as he spoke. He shook his head, dislodging some sweat, and Jounouchi leaned away to look over the shoulders of the teens instead. They were excitedly comparing Duel Monsters cards and exchanging light-hearted banter in a way that made Jounouchi long for the simplicity of his own high-school days. Over their heads, alongside an advertisement for anti-aging face cream, was an announcement for an upcoming Duel Monsters tournament. Naturally it was being put on by Seto Kaiba himself, whose image appeared in the announcement alongside his signature Blue-Eyes White Dragon. He stared imperiously down, the lapels of his white coat crisp and perfect, and not a single dark hair out of place. He really was quite handsome, with porcelain skin and highset cheekbones, but Jounouchi felt uncomfortable trying to meet his clear blue eyes. Looking away, he chastised himself for being unnerved by a poster. He just didn’t know if he could handle making eye contact with a man he might soon be condemning. And profession be damned, despite his decision to continue with the job Jounouchi just couldn’t help but feel guilty about it. Turning his back on the poster, he tried to relax until he reached the right stop. The view out of the windows showed that it was a beautiful, clear day, certainly ruined a little by the sweltering heat, but pleasant enough nonetheless.

By the time the bus reached its stop outside the KaibaCorp building, Jounouchi was well and truly damp with sweat. His shirt was sticking to his back and when he pushed his hair away from his face it left his fingertips smelling of salt. A weak breeze gave some relief against the heat as he stepped off the bus, and shoving his hands in his pockets, he set off towards one of the numerous green spaces that sat in the shadow of the gigantic building dominating the area. The sun blazed down on his head, and it was a relief to reach a park bench under the shade of some elm trees. Sinking down onto the bench, Jounouchi took a moment to survey the area. He was only a hundred metres or so away from the entrance to the building, and as he’d predicted the place was thick with visitors. Wide-eyed foreigners were snapping pictures, children ran laughing over the lush lawns, and a few food stalls had opened up to waft their enticing smells in Jounouchi’s direction. Someone was even having a duel across the way. Jounouchi was content to stay on his park bench and observe all day, and he could definitely go for a hot breakfast from one of the food stalls. He could see a sign for takoyaki and grilled onigiri that was just calling his name. But before he could start towards what promised to be a good meal, a flash of white caught his eye. The flash of a stark white trench coat with red lining. There, at the top of the granite staircase in front of KaibaCorp – it was undoubtedly Seto Kaiba himself. And he was walking this way.


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yooo so this chapter's a little short but I wanted to get it out because the next one's going to be written from Kaiba's perspective. I am honestly shocked with how quickly I'm updating this fic so you can likely expect the next chapter within a few days :) :) :)

_Damn it. God damn it. Whatever happened to taking it slow?_

Jounouchi cursed inwardly. Still, he knew better than to act nervous and draw attention to himself. Kaiba didn’t know of Jounouchi’s line of work. They’d never even met. He was just another nameless, blameless citizen enjoying a day out. Bringing his elbows up to rest on the back of the bench, he took a relaxed position and watched as Kaiba made his way down the wide path. It didn’t matter if he stared openly, as plenty of others were doing it too. Besides, Kaiba had to be used to the attention as someone so easily recognisable. He walked like he meant business. He was also surprisingly tall in real life, with the gangliest set of limbs that somehow managed to look entirely graceful. As Jounouchi watched, he saw that the man seemed completely unperturbed by the hushed whispers that broke out behind him or the children blatantly pointing. It was amazing that no-one rushed forward for an autograph, though perhaps people knew enough of his cold reputation not to try. Kaiba’s path slowly drew him within 30, 20, and then 10 metres of Jounouchi’s position. He was close enough that Jounouchi could make out the engraved ‘KC’ on his belt buckle as it gleamed in the sunlight. 

Then something strange happened. Kaiba turned his head to look directly at Jounouchi. He felt himself still, blood running cold, and not daring to break eye contact. _Shit. Shit!_ Was he really that obvious? Were guards about to come out and take him away? Kaiba’s mouth quirked almost imperceptibly as Jounouchi ran through every paranoid thought in his head, and something passed between them in that moment. They only made eye contact for a few seconds, but it felt like forever before Kaiba turned to look ahead once more. He never faltered in his stride, long legs keeping their determined pace, but Jounouchi was struggling to breathe. Kaiba’s steely gaze had bored into him as though he knew exactly why he was there. It was almost too much to bear, and Jounouchi swallowed thickly as he watched the man’s retreating back. He felt shaken; he’d never drawn so much attention from the target during a job, and certainly not so early in the proceedings. What now? If he came here to observe again he would surely be noticed, unless he made the effort to wear a disguise. This changed everything, all of his usual methods would be inappropriate now. He’d even been considering weaselling his way into KaibaCorp as an employee, someone whose role would allow him to remain effortlessly in check with Kaiba’s whereabouts at all times. _Fat chance of that happening now_ , he thought with a twinge of annoyance.

The day didn’t seem nearly as pleasant now – Jounouchi’s worrying had caused him to sweat even more than before and his appetite had vanished. It was time to call it quits, though it was barely 10am. Kaiba was no-where in sight, so Jounouchi collected his thoughts and returned to the bus stop. He’d call into a konbini for some food and then spend the day in his office, phone off the hook and door locked against anything else the world wanted to throw at him. A bus arrived and he shouldered his way on through the passengers who were already crammed in like sardines. He allowed his mind to wander and before he knew it he was standing in his office, a plastic bag of hot, cheap dumplings clutched in his hands. Hurrying to open the windows – which really didn’t help much – and turn on the tiny desktop fan beside the computer, Jounouchi mentally prepared himself for a long day. The worn out office chair groaned in protest as he plopped down unceremoniously, jabbing a finger at the computer’s on/off switch. It whirred to life and he idly wondered how much of a profile he could put together today before meeting Yuugi for dinner. He hadn’t taken down any notes during his search the previous night, though most of the details had stuck in his mind. He would just have to wait and see.

Hours later, Jounouchi checked his watch and did a double take. _Jeez. It’s 6:45 already?_

The time had flown by faster than he’d realised, and he’d have to dash so as not to keep Yuugi waiting. His eyes hurt from staring at the computer screen and his stomach rumbled painfully, but he was pleased with the information he'd managed to dig up. It would make up a good portion of the profile he presented to the client at the end of the month, as an introduction to everything he'd hopefully soon be learning. Sniffing himself, Jounouchi wrinkled his nose and huffed. His clothes stunk with dried sweat, and the only clothes on hand were some very crumpled slacks and a shirt stuffed into a drawer. It’d have to do. He wriggled into them and snorted when he caught sight of his reflection in a window. Untidy, like always. The scuffed-up sneakers didn’t help. He slipped on a tie for good measure, made the barest effort to tidy his hair, then hurried to lock up and head out. It might have been an exhausting day but his spirits were high – there wasn’t much that could bring him down with the promise of a good curry ahead.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kaiba's got the HOTS

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey beautiful people, my insomnia is really fucking everything up and literally the only good thing to come out of it is that I stay up all night writing this fic :) :) :) so here's a bit of perspective from Kaiba. It's another short chapter, but don't worry, things are gonna start happening reeeal soon to bring the chapters up to a decent length. Enjoy yaselves

Seto Kaiba was tired. Of course, that wasn’t out of the ordinary, but this particular day had been rather more tiring than usual. Upon arriving at headquarters he’d found that a bird was loose in his office. His secretary and several maintenance crew members had leapt about for half an hour trying to catch the thing before accidentally scaring it into a vent, and god knows where it went after that. Then the coffee machine had been broken and he’d refused to send someone to fetch a coffee for him, as they always managed to get something wrong. So he’d been forced to brave the disgusting warmth and walk to a nearby café, after which he’d felt vaguely dirty all day. The rest of the morning had proved slightly productive but early afternoon found him yelling at several executives for completely overlooking a simple yet major error in the latest product testing report. This would mean weeks of reworking and retesting. When the bird found its way back into his office and left droppings on his desk though, that was the final straw. He'd up and left the office with only a terse farewell to his secretary at an hour that even he knew was completely unacceptable. And now he was lying in bed with a throbbing headache, despite the fact that it was only 7pm and he still had mountains of important tasks to complete. Why had he even bothered getting out of bed today?

With a resentful groan he burrowed down into the duvet, pressing his face against a pillow. It was soft and cool against his aching forehead. And suddenly he was reminded that thinking back on it, the day hadn’t been a total loss. During his morning outing for coffee he’d not bothered to skirt around the green, instead walking right through the park with its snap-happy tourists and visiting duelists. The blistering heat was almost unbearable, and it was mostly sheer willpower that stopped him from sweating through his clothes. He’d honed in on his destination, an upscale café just beyond the crowded park, when his eyes were irresistibly drawn to a shining gold mass in his peripherals. It was a man, his blond hair falling in a tousled halo that glowed in the burning sunlight. He lounged on a park bench, all languid grace and quiet strength. He clearly worked out, but wasn’t the type to build his lifestyle around it. His skin was warmly toned and glistened with sweat that affixed his thin shirt to the contours of his chest. Disgusting, clearly dirty and a scruffy dresser to boot. Yet this somehow only made him more attractive. 

_Peculiar._

Even more peculiar was the fact that he was watching Kaiba with a quiet intensity; sure, he was used to stares, but even from the corner of his eye he could clearly see the way the man’s attention was locked on his face. So Kaiba decided to return his gaze. Despite the man’s bored expression, the moment their eyes met he seemed to freeze. Those eyes like molten honey, they were wide and perfectly still as Kaiba stared him down, taking in the shape of his face, his brow that was slightly furrowed in surprise, the parting of his dry pink lips. They were coloured a pale musk, and so wonderfully soft-looking. They had looked far softer than the fluffy pillow that Kaiba was currently resting his head on. The man had held his gaze for no more than a few seconds, remaining frozen on the bench after Kaiba looked away. Kaiba definitely hadn’t imagined that the man continued watching him, however. He could practically feel it through his coat. The burning strength of that gaze still warmed him, hours later, and it wasn’t hard to keep thinking about what might happen if, by coincidence, the two of them crossed paths again. Everything about this man made him want to dominate, to take, and be unashamedly greedy about it. Perhaps if Kaiba was desperate enough he would try and track the man down. It wasn’t as if he didn’t have the technology at his disposal, and it had admittedly been a long time since he’d allowed himself to luxuriate in such a selfish exploit. Yes, perhaps he would see about it. For now, he resolved to stay in bed a while longer before getting any work done. It was still early in the night and for once he could think of a more enjoyable way to spend his evening than running a company.


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hellooooo friends, and here's another installment of your two favourite dudes circling ever closer to one another. Will they finally actually meet next chapter? Who fucking knows! :) :) :)
> 
> Thank you for the kudos and comments so far, they truly make my heart soar.

In the life of a private detective, one is often subject to a strange sense of intimacy with people they might otherwise never be familiar with. Birthdays and blood types are learned, along with relationships, family ties, favourite clothing brands and foods, embarrassing past failures, future aspirations and more. It’s all learned. And Jounouchi had now learned as much about Seto Kaiba as he thought was possible without getting closer to him. Fortunately that would soon be happening, as he had calmed down enough after the encounter outside KaibaCorp to realise that if he wanted to keep tabs on the guy without being seen, the perfect solution already existed: becoming a member of the KaibaCorp security team. He was lucky enough to have made a contact in recent years who could get him in with no questions asked, and from then on the whole job would be a piece of cake. The KaibaCorp building would be brimming with surveillance cameras all feeding back to a control room, and Jounouchi would make it his personal mission to be the guy who had to monitor the screens all day. It was such a perfect plan he could hardly believe it. The only downfall was that he’d have to hope he never ran into Kaiba on the way in or out of the building each day. He’d briefly considered wearing a wig just to be safe in case their paths did cross, but that would only make Kaiba suspicious if he happened to recognise him.

Nope, he’d just have to show up as himself and hope for the best. Although that was currently proving difficult as he was trying to shave and kept cutting himself in his morning stupor. His contact had been adamant that he arrive at KaibaCorp before 7am or he wouldn’t be able to meet with the head of security, and Jounouchi knew that this was crucial to him making a good impression. So he persevered.

When he walked out of the bathroom ten minutes later with tiny pieces of blood-dotted tissue all over his face, Yuugi took one look and laughed raucously.

“You look like you’ve been in a cat fight, Jou!”

“Ah, shut up. I’m going over to KaibaCorp today so I have to look spiffy, don’t I?”

Yuugi’s eyebrows raised in interest. “What are you doing over there? Is it for your latest case?”

Jounouchi scowled, shouldering past Yuugi to get to the kitchen. “You know I can’t tell you that, Yuug. It’s confidential. But I’ll be spending a lot of time over there which means a lot more getting up early,” he grumbled. Getting up for his regular job was bad enough, but at least when he was his own boss it didn’t matter if he slept in or stayed home every now and then. Yuugi, ever the early bird, didn’t seem to sympathise.

Yuugi had followed him to the kitchen, and he sat thoughtfully at the high counter while Jounouchi rushed through breakfast. “Maybe you’ll get to meet Seto Kaiba,” he said, to which Jounouchi snorted in faux derision.

“That guy? He’s probably just another big-headed, smarmy asshole, like every other rich person. I doubt he even talks to most of his employees.”

“Oh, so you’re going to be working there?”

Jounouchi grinned, shaking his head at Yuugi. “I didn’t say that, you smart ass. And don’t go getting any ideas! I’m the detective around here, and you’re the- what is it this week? Yoga teacher?”

“Swimming instructor,” corrected Yuugi with a smile.

He’d taken to being a temp recently in order to focus more on Duel Monsters, and it seemed to be the perfect arrangement. There was a new job that needed doing almost every week, and Jounouchi was constantly privy to amusing stories about his various occupations. His favourite was when Yuugi had been loaned out to a dog-walking agency; visions of tiny Yuugi being dragged along by an overly energetic golden retriever still made him chuckle.

“Well anyway, now you know what’s happening, and I really need to get going if I want to catch the bus.” Jounouchi dumped his plate and cutlery in the sink, jammed his shoes on and stopped to scrutinise his appearance one last time in the hall mirror. His face was still adorned with bits of tissue, which he brushed off with the back of his sleeve. Hopefully he wouldn’t start bleeding again on the bus ride.

“Seeya tonight! Have fun swimming!”

He ruffled Yuugi’s hair affectionately and ran from the room before his friend could complain about having his hairstyle messed up. Yuugi sighed; he supposed it was going to get wet in the pool later, anyway.

When Jounouchi arrived at the KaibaCorp building it was blessedly quiet. No-one was around at this time of morning except for the other poor bastards whose work hours required it. He passed a cleaner on his way through the front doors and nodded a hello.

_Why does that guy remind me of Honda?_ he thought with a glance.

Stating his name and purpose at the reception desk, he took a moment to appreciate the foyer. High-ceilinged, flashy, and decked out in various types of polished marble, it was as much as he expected from a man like Kaiba. The receptionist – who was alarmingly chipper – phoned for a security guard to come and collect him, and he was soon led into a far less impressive side corridor which in turn led to his prize – security headquarters. Two of the three rooms it consisted of were unsurprising in their appearance, merely being a locker room and a break room. The third room, however, was more in keeping with the extravagance that Jounouchi had come to associate with Seto Kaiba. _Yes! This is more like it._ Three of the room’s four enormous walls were covered in television screens, each displaying various areas in and around the building. Most of the screens changed after a few seconds as they shared feedback from multiple cameras, but Jounouchi was delighted to see that the screens displaying Kaiba’s office and personal foyer (even in grainy black and white they were both so ridiculously excessive that he had no doubt as to their purpose) stayed fixed to one feed per screen. With a start, he realised that Kaiba was sitting at his desk, and he watched as the figure onscreen busily read what was probably a very boring document.

“You like watching the screens?”

Jounouchi turned to see an enormous man in a black suit speaking to him. He was undoubtedly the head of security, judging by the imposing aura he gave off.

“Uh, yes sir, I like to keep an eye on what lots of people are doing at once. Vigilance, you know?” He tapped his forehead in an attempt to act like he had a shred of experience in security work. With an internal laugh he realised that the aim of his career was the exact opposite of keeping things secure. But he supposed that surveillance was something he’d had a lot of practice at, so it wasn’t necessarily a complete lie that he was spinning. The enormous man didn’t seem displeased by his answer, merely nodding and looking him up and down.

“Good. With your size I think you’ll be better suited to desk work, as it were,” he stated plainly. Jounouchi bristled; was this guy for real? He prided himself on not being a scrawny shrimp! Even if he _was_ a little small compared to the excessive mass of some of the guards he’d already seen around the place. The enormous man continued, gesturing to the two other men in the room.

“You’ll be staying here in cooperation with Mori and Nakamura. You each watch one wall, and are responsible for the reporting of anything you observe to be out of order.”

Jounouchi’s stomach gave a pang. He’d thought he might have full reign of the control room, but he supposed this wouldn’t be too bad. Mori and Nakamura looked friendly enough, anyhow. Suddenly another man appeared at his elbow with three garment bags in hand.

“You’ll wear one of these today and take the others home,” said the enormous man. What was his name? He hadn’t given it to Jounouchi yet.

“Y-yes… boss,” he stammered, taking the proffered garment bags.

“It’s Inoue. And dispense with the formalities, it’s unnecessary,” said the eno- _Inoue, he literally just told me that his name is Inoue. Goddamn it, Jounouchi._

“Ok, Inoue,” he answered. This earned him a smile, which he was almost shocked to see.

“We may place importance on respect and attentiveness here, but unless you’re talking to Mr Kaiba or the board members there’s really no need to stand on ceremony,” Inoue elaborated.

“Now go and put on your uniform, and I want to see you in that chair for the next five hours.”

_Oof. Five hours? Jeez, I didn’t think about that part. Here goes five hours of mind-numbing boredom…_

Still, he couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of triumph when he looked up at the central wall of screens – his wall, he noted smugly – and saw Kaiba working away silently. Everything was about to pay off.


	6. Chapter 6

Hey friends, I just wanted to let you know that although I'm so excited to keep writing this story I'm in the midst of a pretty upsetting breakup. I'm told this would be great for writing angsty fics but since this is not an angsty fic I'm just not in the right space to be updating it right now. Give it a week or so and I'll probably be fine, but I just wanted to let you all know. This fic will NOT be abandoned. 

Much love ❤️


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